Aboutface
by SRL541
Summary: At the Special Administrative Zone, Lelouch turns to look at Euphie just a bit earlier. A different set of consequences occur...


About-face

"Did you really think you could get me to shoot you just by threatening me?" Euphie asked with a teasing smile on her face.

The air in the room was less oppressive, the tension having left the room after their argument dissipated. The gun stared up from the floor, forgotten after their struggle.

"Oh, no, that's not it. If I really order someone to do something, he or she cannot resist." Lelouch turned to face Euphemia. "To shoot me, to pardon…"

He trailed off when he saw Euphemia's widened eyes. Lelouch repeated what he had said in his brain before realizing the red color rimming her eyes. His brain raced with explanations, but he could not think very clearly. His emotions contested with his logic for priority of his brain usage.

"No…" Euphie's expression hardened. "I have to shoot you."

Lelouch realized belatedly that he had become like Mao; his Geass was permanent, probably in the eye that had given him pain earlier. That would mean…

"Forget the order I just gave you!" Lelouch's heart dropped as he realized that he had reacted too late to negate his order.

He was frantic. If she shot him now, neither of their plans would work. The Special Administrative Zone would fail as the Japanese would assume that it was a Britannian plot to kill Zero-.

Lelouch's attention changed abruptly to focus on what was happening when Euphie lunged for the gun on the floor. His mind rushed with possible actions and reactions. He stepped back, unwilling to possibly hurt her for his mistake and aware that he would probably fail in a strength match to retrieve the gun.

Something impacted his chest. The ground was suddenly underneath his back. He tried to breathe, but he did not seem to receive any air.

"Lelouch!"

The world became black.

* * *

It was Euphie's turn to be frantic when she connected the clues. A gun was in her hand, and her half-brother was on the floor. Blood covered his suit.

"Lelouch!" She yelled desperately, hoping for him to respond and be fine. There was no way he could be fine, however, when there was that much blood surrounding him.

Euphemia li Britannia had never encountered such a scene. It took her several seconds of blank shock and indecision before she remembered the emergency call button that her guards had given her to press.

With numb fingers, she fished the button from her pocket and pressed it. It emitted a loud beep.

"Princess, are you alright?" Frenzied voices answered her call, probably nervous from waiting.

Euphie took a deep breath before answering, "Yes, I am fine. However, I require medical assistance."

"Are you hurt? What happened? Help is on the way. General Darlton is also going."

She debated mentioning exactly who was hurt. If she mentioned it was Zero who was hurt, her assistants would not be as motivated and Lelouch might die. He was already very pale, and the amount of blood on the floor scared her. But, if she did not, she would be dishonest.

Before she could answer, a few men burst through the door. They aimed their guns around the room, searching for danger, before they found their princess kneeling on the floor.

"I order you to save this man. He is in urgent need of medical assistance." Euphemia stood and straightened her spine, forming a commanding posture that she had learned from her sister.

"But," one of the guards faltered, "He is a terrorist. The world would be better if he died."

"You must obey my commands," Euphemia continued. However, she was not as confident as she presented herself as. Should she tell them Zero's true identity?

"Your sister would not be pleased by your actions." General Darlton had also arrived on the scene, and he had probably guessed that she had shot him.

She would figure out what happened later. Now, she had to save Lelouch. She realized she had to tell them who he was. Even if they did listen to her, saving him would require taking off his mask.

"This is Lelouch vi Britannia, eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. I command you to save his life!"

Euphemia could only hope that they managed to save him, and that he would not be too angry with her. Hopefully, she could also hide Nunally from her family, as that would be what Lelouch wanted.

* * *

His brain was muddled when he began to wake up. He lying on something soft, there was an IV tube in his arm, and his chest felt tight and numb.

Lelouch slugged through possibilities in his mind. Slowly, he remembered the Geass order that he gave Euphie.

"Are you awake?" a sweet voice asked him.

He struggled to open his eyes. When he saw who was in front of him, he attempted to speak. An oxygen mask on his face muffled his words.

"Sorry, you can't speak now. But, I'm so relieved that you're alright!" Euphie smiled at him.

Lelouch smiled back. It was just like her to worry so much. He then frowned, contemplating the guilt on her conscience his command might have given her.

"I want to know what happened that day, but the doctor said you shouldn't speak right now. So, I will tell you what has happened since. You've been asleep for a week. The doctor says you will be fine, but the bullet was close to your heart and damaged your lung. So, you might have a few breathing or heart problems in the future." Euphie looked at him worriedly.

Lelouch gave a slight shrug. With the thousands of possibilities of what could have happened in his head, what did happen was not as bad as it seemed. He could have ordered Euphie to kill someone or even cause a massacre.

"I had to tell some of the military and our family that you were alive in order to save you," she continued. "However, they haven't found out about Nunally yet, and the general public don't know that you are alive.

"About the Special Administrative Zone… The people were concerned when you and I didn't reappear from our meeting. A few riots broke out before the Black Knights came in and helped everyone leave, since they feared a Britannian attack. The police came; some of the Black Knights were captured."

Lelouch wondered where C.C. had gone. He hoped that the more important members of the Black Knights were safe.

"Schneizel and Cornelia want to see you again. And…" Euphie looked away, as if afraid that he would be angry.

"Father wants to speak with you soon."

Lelouch nodded. The turn of events was surprising. The Emperor would probably use him as a tool again.

He would now have to fight Britannia from the inside.

* * *

A/N: Running short on time, so there may be some mistakes (grammar, pacing, and/or logical). I might continue this; I might not. Enjoy!


End file.
